Tours ready for new modern

   The new Modern Art Museum with a state-of-the-art auditorium, five times more gallery space and three classrooms is no comparison to its predecessor.

   Residents have long awaited the opening of the new museum, which was rehoused in downtown Fort Worth while the facility was being built. The new amenities make possible many new programs, events and tours.

   The inaugural exhibition, 110 Years: The Permanent Collection of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, will be combined with well-known collections of international modern and contemporary art to fill the new 53,000-square-foot exhibition galleries, which span two levels.

   A variety of tour options are available to view the collection: prearranged group, public, artist-led or a special Third-Thursday Lunch Time Tour.

   Several docents are available to conduct tours and explain the architecture or the art holdings of the museum.

   There is no charge for tour groups of 10 to 120 people, and the one-hour tours can be tailored to a specific group.

   Contact Ashley Elliot, tour and docent coordinator, at 817-738-9215, ext. 141, or elliot@themodern.org for more information and scheduling.

   Public tour schedules also are available and vary according to exhibits.

   Contact 817-738-9215 or info@themodern.org for more information.

   Artist-led tours are conducted on the third Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. with each artist choosing an aspect of the exhibition and providing his or her unique perspective.

   The Third Thursday Lunch-time Tour focuses on the architecture or the collection itself. These lunch time tours are conducted by a guest architect or a member of the museum's curatorial or education staff.

   Call 817-738-9215, ext. 119, or e-mail whitney@themodern.org for more information on either the artist-led or the Third Thursday Lunch-time Tour.

   Additional museum information can be found at www.themodern.org.